Deep In the Heart
by iloveromance
Summary: When Niles gets an incredible opportunity, Daphne realizes just how much her life will change... and how much she wants it to stay the same.
1. Chapter 1

When the doorbell rang, Daphne was grateful for the distraction. Washing dishes definitely wasn't on her list of favorite things to do.

And for someone who was forever complaining about her cooking, Martin certainly contributed his share of dirty dishes.

When it rang again, Daphne washed her hands, drying them on the kitchen towel that hung from the handle of the refrigerator door.

"Coming!" She called as she crossed the room and went to answer the door.

"Oh... Hello, Dr. Crane."

"Hello, Daphne."

She never tired of seeing her boss's younger brother and the polite way he smiled at her never failed to cheer her up; no matter how bad of a day she'd been having.

He looked her up and down. "You look quite luminous this afternoon." He said.

Daphne blushed at the compliment that she truly didn't deserve. Only Dr. Crane's brother would find her attractive in a pair of jeans, worn t-shirt and an apron that read _What's Cookin?_

"Thank you, Dr. Crane. You look quite handsome yourself. Is that a new suit?

Niles cheeks turned crimson as he looked down at his dark suit and yellow tie.

"Thank you, Daphne. It's not new, but I haven't worn it in quite some time."

Daphne smiled. "That must be it, then. So what brings you here on a nice day like this? I thought you'd be out enjoying the sunshine. We so rarely get any around here."

He smiled at her lame attempt at humor. "Actually I'm here to see Frasier. Is he around?"

"He's in his bedroom reading, but I'll go get him. Apparently my washing dishes was too much of a distraction.

"How could washing dishes possibly bother anyone?" Niles asked. "It certainly wouldn't bother me if you were washing dishes. In fact, I rather enjoy being in your company."

Daphne smiled and squeezed his hand. "That's very sweet, Dr. Crane. I enjoy your company as... Oh bloody hell! I completely forgot about your brother! I'll be right back."

She ran into the hallway and knocked on Frasier's bedroom door. The look on his face when he answered told her that he was far from happy about the distraction.

"I'm so sorry to bother you Dr. Crane, but your brother is here to see you."

"Niles is here? Well that certainly is unusual for this time of day. Did you let him in?"

"Of course I-."

"Niles! There's something I've been meaning to discuss with you!" Frasier said, pushing his way past Daphne as he entered the living room.

"I have some exciting news myself, Frasier. In fact, this is big!"

"Really? What's so important that you rushed over here in the middle of the day?"

"Well... Do you remember that article I wrote for the _Seattle Psychiatrist's Association_?"

"The one on schizophrenia?"

"Yes. My therapy group was very helpful in providing material for the article."

"I have to say that it was very well written, Niles. And it was a pleasure to read." Frasier said.

Niles smiled proudly. "Thank you Frasier, but you're not the only one who enjoyed it. Apparently the SPA enjoyed it so much that they gave it rave reviews and it even garnered praise from the _National Journal of Psychology and Psychiatrists._"

"Dr. Crane, that's very impressive!" Daphne said hugging him. She could feel his breath stagger slightly as he returned her embrace.

"Niles, that's wonderful!" Frasier added.

"What's going on?" Martin asked, hobbling into the room and settling himself into his chair. "Oh, hey Niles."

"Hey, Dad!" Niles replied.

"Niles was just telling us some exciting news, Dad." Frasier said. "Seems that an article he wrote was given high praise from the_ National Journal of Psychology and Psychiatritics."_

"Hey! That's great!" Martin exclaimed.

"Thanks for the votes of confidence but I still haven't told you the best part!" Niles said elatedly.

"Which is?" Frasier prompted.

"Well, part of the requirements of writing a prestigious article that appears in the _National Journal of Psychology and Psychiatrists _is a change of scenery and an entirely new environment. I've also earned a coveted spot on the board of directors."

"Wonderful, Niles!" Frasier said. "Where is this change of scenery?"

There was a dramatic pause before Niles continued.

"Frasier... Dad... Daphne... I'm moving to Texas!"


	2. Chapter 2

A cold chill ran through Daphne and she was barely aware of Frasier and Martin who were congratulating Niles.

"So Niles, which parts of Texas will you be _moseying_ off to?" Frasier said in an extremely bad Texas accent.

"I hope it's Dallas!" Martin exclaimed. "Then we can come visit you when the Seahawks are playing the Cowboys. I'd love to go down to Big D and see what all the excitement is about."

But Niles shook his head adamantly. "No. Not Dallas. That would remind me too much of Maris and she's out of my life for good."

"What's wrong with Dallas?" Martin asked.

"It's the site of the first Neiman Marcus." Niles replied. "I'd much prefer to live in Austin; even if it is a college town."

"But don't you want to live in Dallas where the Cowboys play?" Martin asked.

"Well the Cowboys have a great baseball team, Dad, but..."

Martin shook his head in disbelief.

"What are we sitting round for?" Frasier asked. "We should celebrate! Daphne, would you pour us some champagne?"

Daphne swallowed hard, trying to ignore the tightness in her chest.

"C-Certainly, Dr. Crane."

She walked over to the bar and poured champagne into three champagne flutes, fighting to steady her trembling hand.

"H-here you are." She said handing out the champagne.

"To my brother, Niles..." Frasier said raising his glass in a toast. "who's headed for fame and fortune!"

Embarrassed, Niles laughed. "Frasier, I think you're getting a bit carried away."

"I don't think so Niles." Martin added. "You're definitely going on to bigger and better things."

As they clinked their glasses together, Niles laughed. "Well, as they say... everything is bigger in Texas."

"This is a wonderful opportunity and we're so proud of you. Aren't we, Daphne?" Frasier asked.

Daphne looked up, blinking back tears. "Yes, it's wonderful." She said in a soft voice.

"So Niles, when do you leave?" Martin asked.

"A week from tomorrow." Niles replied.

"Eight days, Niles? Frasier asked. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"Yeah, this isn't a lot of notice, you know!" Martin added.

"I'm sorry but they just called with the news this morning. I came over as soon as I could." Niles said.

"Well promise you'll stop by as often as possible within the next eight days." Frasier said.

"Of course." Niles said. "I'll be here bright and early tomorrow morning."

Martin hugged his son. "I'm proud of you, but I can't lie when I say that I'm gonna miss you like hell."

"I'll miss you too, Dad." Niles said.

"Niles... If it's any consolation, I'll miss you, as well." Frasier said.

Niles smiled and hugged his brother. "Thank you Frasier. I'll miss you too."

"Well... I should probably get going but like I said, I'll be back tomorrow." Nile said.

Daphne walked toward Niles and reached for his hand. "Goodbye, Dr. Crane."

He smiled and touched her shoulder. "Goodbye, Daphne. I'll see you soon."

When he turned and walked out the door, Daphne returned to the kitchen, her eyes blurred by tears.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Later that night...**_

All through dinner, Frasier and Niles had talked of nothing but Niles and about how successful he would be in his new adventure in Texas. When she'd finally had enough, she feigned a headache and went to bed.

She lay there tossing and turning but sleep wouldn't come. Each time she closed her eyes, her mind filled with images of the blonde haired psychiatrist.

When sleep finally did come, so did dreams of the man who had become her best friend.

All morning long, the sound of the phone, the doorbell or even the elevator caused her heart to beat rapidly with nervousness. And it wasn't until he appeared late in the afternoon that she realized she'd been waiting for him.

In subsequent visits, he greeted her warmly and proceeded to talk to Frasier about his latest wine club happenings and about how the members were going to miss him.

Then came talk of Maris and of how happy Niles was to be free of her. Finally he could live his life the way he'd always wanted.

Of course he'd expressed remorse over leaving his family; especially Martin. To which his father had told him that worrying about an old man was stupid and that he had so many opportunities ahead of him.

As the days went by, it became harder and harder to see Niles without the now-familiar tightness in her chest and stomach making an appearance.

When he sat next to her on the sofa and sipped his sherry, she could only sit perfectly still; her hands clinched together, trying not to get lost in his eyes.

Eyes that were as blue as a clear summer sky.

Engrossed in conversation with his father about a program on television, Niles stopped suddenly and turned to her.

"Are you all right, Daphne?"

She turned to him, her breath catching in her throat at the sight of his concerned glance. How was it possible that she never noticed how handsome he was before?

"T-thank you, Dr. Crane. I'm fine." She said; her voice barely a whisper.

His hand gently touched her shoulder in a feather light caress, causing a shiver to run through her.

"Frasier, can you turn down the air conditioning?" he called to his brother. "Daphne seems a bit cold."

When Niles rose from the sofa, Daphne turned in surprise to find him walking to the coat rack; returning seconds later with her sweater, which he draped around her shoulders.

The kind gesture made her sigh. "Dr. Crane... that's so sweet of you!"

"Well... I suppose I should get going. I really need to start packing. I leave in two days, you know!" Niles said.

She turned her face away, fighting tears once more.

"A-all right. Well, stop by again because I know your father and brother want to see you before you l-leave."

"Thank you, Daphne." He said touching her shoulder once more.

But the next day he didn't come over. Or the next...

And while they ate dinner, Niles absence was discussed heavily.  
>"This just isn't like him." Frasier said. "He promised he'd come over every day!"<br>"Fras, don't worry about it." Martin said. "Niles said he'd come around and he will! I'm sure it takes a long time to pack up that place of his. I've never seen someone with so many possessions before. Then he has to ship all of that stuff clear across the country! And he's leaving first thing tomorrow!""

Daphne shuddered at the harsh reality.

"W-where is Dr. Crane going to live?" She asked, praying that her voice wouldn't break.

"In Austin, the state capitol! Frasier said.

"Yeah, he'll love it down there!" Martin said. "Hot summers, lots of sunshine; and every kind of food you can imagine! They even have something they call Tex-Mex! And the sports teams! Whoa! The Cowboys, the Rangers, the Mavericks! Yeah, Texas sure came up with some great names for their teams! And no steep roads whatsoever! Yep, as flat as you can imagine! And armadillos!"

"Mr. Crane, please!" Daphne said.

When the doorbell rang, she quickly excused herself and ran to her room.

"What's with her?" She heard Martin ask.

"Maybe she's coming down with something." Frasier replied.

As she lay on her bed, sobbing into her pillow, Daphne knew exactly what was wrong. She was suffering from a broken heart.


	4. Chapter 4

She awoke early the next morning, groaning at the sunlight that streamed into her window. Dr. Crane would be here soon and it would be time to say goodbye.

She heard Frasier and Martin on the phone with him last night and they made him promise that he'd come over...

One last time.

A sob escaped and she quickly went into the bathroom to wash her face. Nothing in her closet looked appropriate but she quickly found an outfit that Dr. Crane had complimented her on many times; a blue sweater and a print skirt. When she was sure she looked presentable, she walked into the kitchen and began preparing a special breakfast.

"Wow, Daph! Don't you look nice!" Martin exclaimed. "Got a big date or something?"

"Thank you, Mr. Crane. Just want to look nice for when Dr. Crane comes over." She said, trying to ignore the flip inside of her heart.

"Well he should be here any minute and I can tell you right now, I'm not looking foreword to saying goodbye to my son." Martin said.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Crane." Daphne said, covering Martin's hand with her own. "But you'll probably see him more often than you think. Planes do go between here and Texas, you know. What did you do when Dr. Crane was in Boston?"

"Well... I didn't go up there to see him much and I still regret it to this day."

"Come on, Dad. We've been over and over this. It's fine." Frasier said.

"No, Fras. It's not fine. I haven't seen Freddy in months and I hate that I didn't get up there often enough to see you."

"Even if Lillith was there too?"

"Yes, even Lillith." Martin said, cringing at the sound of her name.

The doorbell rang, causing Daphne's heart to beat faster than she thought possible.

"That'll be Niles." Martin said. "Anyone want to get that?"

Frasier sighed. "I'll do it. After all, he's my brother and I owe it to him to give him a proper send off."

Daphne watched as Frasier went to the door and opened it; her breath catching in her throat when she saw Niles, looking extremely handsome in a navy blue pullover sweater and light blue shirt underneath.

"Well, Niles!" Frasier said; the nervousness heavy in his voice.

"I don't want to drag this out any more than I have to, Frasier. This will be hard enough as it is." Niles said.

"Hey, Son." Martin said. "Daphne's made a terrific breakfast."

Daphne couldn't help but notice the way Martin rolled his eyes at Frasier as he said the words.

"Hello, Daphne." Niles said.

"H-hello, Dr. Crane." She replied.

He looked her up and down once more. "You look stunning this morning."  
>She blushed as warmth filled her heart. "You're very kind, Dr. Crane."<p>

"Why don't we sit and enjoy our breakfast?" Frasier said.

They ate in silence, stopping only to make small talk, for each of them knew what was looming on the horizon...

Soon, Niles would be gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Once more she brushed the tears from her face. "More toast, Dr. Crane?"

"Um... No... Actually I should be going. I have a long drive ahead of me."

Daphne raised her head. "_Drive_? You mean you're going to drive 2200 miles by yourself?"

"Sure! It'll be good for him, won't it Son?" Martin asked.

"It will certainly be an adventure, won't it?" Frasier added. "Niles you have those classical CD's I gave you, right?"

"They're in my car and ready to go." Niles replied.

They stood at the door way, staring at one another.

"Well... I guess this is it." Niles said.

"I'm really going to miss you, Son." Martin said. "You've done more for me than I can ever imagine and I can't thank you enough."

"Come on, Dad. I did what any son would do."

"No... I don't think so. And I love you for it." Martin said. Before Niles could answer, Martin grabbed him and pulled him into a bear hug.

"I love you, Dad." Niles said against his father's soft plaid shirt.

"I love you too, Son. Drive carefully."

"Okay, my turn." Frasier said. "Niles... I can't tell you how much your friendship has meant to Me."

"Frasier..."

"I mean it, Niles. We've been through so much together and... Well, I just can't believe that we'll be separated once more."

"I'll come and visit as often as I can." Niles said.

"I'm gonna hold you to that." Frasier said, wiping a tear from his eye. "I love you, Niles."

Niles began to cry and hugged his brother tightly. "I love you too, Frasier."

All three men looked at Daphne.

"Well, I guess we'll let you have a few minutes alone." Frasier said. "Dad and I... We'll go out for a beer at McGinty's."

Niles nodded and hugged his father and brother once more. "I love you." He said again.

"We love you too, Niles." Frasier said.

When they were gone, Daphne felt the lump in her throat begin to grow.

"Would you like some help with cleaning up the dishes?" Niles asked.

She smiled and took Niles' hands. "That's not necessary, Dr. Crane. You should probably get going."

"That's true." He said.

Daphne turned away from him, brushing away the hot tears that escaped, praying he wouldn't see.

"Oh, let me fix you a snack in the kitchen. Don't want you getting hungry along the way."

"Thank you, Daphne."

Quickly she fixed a large picnic basket of his favorite foods and added a bottle of wine.

"Here you are, Dr. Crane." She said handing him the basket.

"Daphne, this is much too generous."

"Nonsense. Now I just want you to enjoy and-."

"Daphne, is something wrong?"

"Um... no. I just... want you to be happy on the way to Texas."

They stared at one another, not knowing what to say.

"Well... I guess this is it." Niles finally said.

"I guess so." Daphne replied.

"Come here." Niles said hugging her warmly. "I can't tell you how much your kindness and compassion has meant to me. I'll cherish our friendship for the rest of my life."

She brushed away a tear and kissed his cheek. "And I'll cherish it as well. I'm so grateful to your brother for hiring me because otherwise I would never know what a wonderful man you are."

He held her closer and inhaled deeply, a sure sign that he was smelling her hair. Suddenly she was grateful that she'd chosen her favorite shampoo; the one that smelled of cherry bark and almonds.

"I-I'll miss you terribly." She said, finding it hard to keep her voice from trembling.

"And I'll miss you, Daphne."

She took his hand and walked him to the door. "Goodbye, Dr. Crane."

His sudden smile warmed her heart and he hugged her once more.

"Goodbye, Daphne."

He smiled at her one last time and closed the door behind him. Almost instantly, she collapsed onto the sofa, sobbing.

Minutes later, when she was sure she had no tears left, they came again.

"Oh Niles..."

And finally it hit her...

She brushed the tears from her cheeks and rose from the sofa, not caring that her makeup was surely ruined.

Within seconds she was rushing out of Frasier's condo; her fingers trembling as she stepped into the elevator. The pounding of her heart was so rapid that she could hardly breathe.

And finally the elevator reached the parking garage.  
>The tears came again, flooding her with relief when she saw him walking to his car.<p>

"Dr. Crane?"

He spun around; his eyes wide when he saw her.

"Daphne?"

"Dr. Crane, don't go... please!"

"B-but Daphne-."

She walked toward him, more afraid than she'd ever been in her life.

"I thought you were happy for me. You-you said you were..."

"I-I am... I'm proud of you and happy, but... I'm sorry, I-"

When her voice broke once more, she put her hands over her eyes and began to sob.

"Daphne, what..."

With tear filled eyes she gazed into his blue ones.

"I love you, Niles. I-I've loved you for a long time."

He could only stare at her in amazement, trying to comprehend what she had just told him.

"Y-Y you do? I –I mean you-."

Before he could finish, she took him in her arms, kissing him with more passion than she'd thought possible.

"I-I'm so sorry." She said when the kisses ended; temporarily.

"Don't be." He said kissing her again and again.

"I just... can't bear the thought of being without you."

He sighed deeply in her arms. "You're an angel..."

The sweet name only increased her love for him and she kissed him once more.

"What do you say we go upstairs and I'll call the people in Texas?"

"A-are you sure?"

"I've never been more certain of anything in my life."


	6. Chapter 6

Their fingers entwined, they returned to Frasier's condo where Niles excused himself to make a phone call.

Daphne couldn't help the slight feeling of guilt that came over her knowing that Niles was giving up something so important. But she also knew that she loved him with all of her heart.

"All done, my angel." He said when he entered the living room.

Just then she glanced out of the window.

"Can we go out on the balcony? It's such a romantic sunset."

He took her hand and led her to the balcony where they gazed out at the streaks of blue, pink, orange and yellow that filled the sky.

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Daphne sighed as she leaned against Niles.

"It certainly is beautiful." Niles agreed. "But you, my angel are even more so."

She kissed him tenderly, running her fingers through his blonde hair.

"I love you, Niles." She said, never tiring of saying the words.

Just then the balcony door opened, startling them.

"What in the hell is going on here? Niles! You're supposed to be on your way to Texas!"

Niles turned to stare at his brother.

"Well I started to, but then I realized that everything I need is right here."

And before Frasier could protest, Niles took Daphne in his arms and kissed her again.

_**THE END**_


End file.
